Space Magic (Part 2)

Cuyis Tree Sea

"Buzz"

Deep within the forest, on the walls of a cave, mysterious silver runes suddenly began to shimmer. Immediately afterward, the space within the cave rippled and trembled outwards like waves. The silver runes grew brighter, and the frequency of the spatial vibrations increased. Finally, at a certain moment, a silver radiance enveloped the entire cave, the trembling space quieted down, and a crack resembling a portal appeared in the center of the cave.

A thick, bandaged leg stepped out of the crevice, followed by a large, obese man completely wrapped in bandages who emerged into the cave. Looking at the familiar cave, and stroking the array patterns on the cave walls, the man laughed triumphantly. His laughter aggravated his wounds, causing him to wince in pain. However, it was this pain that reminded the man, Sordil, of his purpose. After re-examining the Magic Array and confirming it was undamaged and still usable, Sordil concealed the array patterns again and flew towards Fostadu.

Mount Fostadu

"Diphiya, what brings you to the mountaintop in the dead of night?"

Igneel, whose sweet dreams had been disturbed, grumbled somewhat unhappily. Grandiere, standing to the side, unlike Igneel who was oblivious to everything but eating, drinking, and having fun, noticed something was amiss and stared curiously at Diphiya, hoping to glean useful information from her. Diphiya lay back on a boulder atop the mountain, gazing at the starry sky, and said mysteriously, "You two don't need to worry. Someone will explain why we're here in a moment."

"Someone explained the reason to us? Who was it?"

Hearing Diphiya's words, Igneel's curiosity was piqued, so he pressed her for details. However, Diphiya remained silent, shaking her head, refusing to tell Igneel the truth. Frustrated, Igniel scratched his head and jumped around anxiously. Just as Diphiya was thinking about how to stall until Sordil arrived before revealing the answer, she suddenly realized that everything had fallen silent, and Igneel, who had been relentlessly questioning her, had vanished. Worried that Igneel had left in a huff, Diphiya hurriedly searched for him, only to find the 'missing person' devouring a large fish.

Speechless, Igneel turned to Grandiere and Diphiya, "Is Brother Igneel's life always this casual?"

Grandiere looked up at the starlight and said softly, "Actually, Igneel has many good qualities. As for our lifestyle, let's not force him!"

Having grasped the spirit of Grandiere, Diphiya walked over to the other person, gently patted their shoulder, and then gave them a hug that seemed to say, "We met too late." Just then, a hearty laugh echoed from the sky.

"What game are you two sisters playing? Can I join in?"

The three on the ground simultaneously looked up at the sky, where they saw a white cocoon hanging above their heads. Igneel, who had just finished eating the large fish in his hand, stared at the white cocoon with shining eyes and excitedly asked Diphiya and the other, "Do you know what that fat white creature in the sky is? Is it edible? Does it taste good?"

Before Diphiya and the other could answer his question, a giant rock fist rose from beneath Igneel's feet, propelling him into the air. After successfully helping Igneel take off, the white cocoon slowly descended in front of Grandiere.

"Sister Grandiere, could you please treat my wounds?"

Grandiere, who had been on high alert because of the attack on Igneel, immediately recognized the white cocoon upon hearing the somewhat familiar voice and seeing Diphiya quietly observing. She then asked softly, "Are you Brother Sordil?"

"Grandiere, it's me! Please help me heal my wound!"

"Okay! I'll treat your wound right away... heal it!"

Having confirmed Sordil's identity, Grandiere didn't hesitate and immediately used Healing Magic to treat Sordil injuries. Sordil was then enveloped in a green light emanating from Grandiere's hand, his body gradually returning to its original state, and the bandages wrapped around him slipping off and falling to the ground. Four or five minutes later, the white cocoon completely disappeared, and a silver-haired youth appeared on the mountaintop. Just then, an angry roar echoed from the sky.

"You big white worm, how dare you plot against me! I'll roast you and eat you!"

Following the roar came the furious Igneel, but by the time he returned to the mountaintop, the giant white Huo Huo was gone, replaced by Sordil, whom he had longed for. Igneel hurriedly landed on the summit and gave Sordil a warm bear hug... no, a dragon hug, no, a dragon pounce. Seeing the ferocious Igneel, Sordil dared not use his small human form any longer and quickly reverted to his dragon form. Igneel hugged Sordil tightly, pounding Sordil back repeatedly, while Sordil his humiliating ordeal.

"Brother, you're back just in time! A giant white bug just ambushed me, you have to help me get revenge!"

"Brother Igneel, don't worry! When I see this big white worm again, I'll definitely roast it and then invite you to eat it with me. What do you think of this way of getting revenge?"

Hearing Sordil's promise, Igneel patted Sordil on the shoulder and said heartily, "Brother Sordil, I knew I hadn't misjudged you! But isn't roasting it a bit of a waste? I think it would be better to stew it into a soup."

"Brother, you don't understand. Insects taste best when roasted!"

"Yeah?"

Diphiya and her companion watched from the side, both amused and exasperated by the two foodies' enthusiastic discussion, unsure how to respond. However, as the insect cooking seminar intensified, Diphiya, unable to bear it any longer, kindly reminded them, "Sordil, you didn't come back this time just to discuss how to cook insects with Brother Igneel, did you?"

After being reminded by Diphiya, the delirious Sordil instantly regained his senses. Sordil scratched the back of his head with his right hand and then said awkwardly, "I was so busy chatting with Brother Igneel that I neglected my business. Well, I have two things I wanted to ask Brother Igneel and Sister Grandiere this time."

Hearing that Sordil had something to ask him, Igneel's displeasure at being interrupted from his food discussion vanished instantly. He hurriedly asked, "Brother Sordil, what two things do you want to ask me?"

"The first thing I want to ask is, why did you guys suddenly leave the Dil'dixiu Mountain Range not long ago?"

Grandiere was about to answer when Igneel beat him to it.

"The reason we left the Dil'dixiu Mountain Range last time was because we received a message from our tribe saying that the fools of the Western Continent were going to invade Ishgar in six months. The tribe was undecided, so they asked a few of us to go back and make a decision."

"Oh! I see!"

"And the second thing, Brother Sordil? What's the second thing you want to ask?"

"The second thing I want to ask is, do you guys know any poison or lightning dragons?"

Igneel, who had been incredibly excited, instantly deflated upon hearing the question. Seeing Igneel's reaction, Sordil felt a chill run down his spine, realizing his plan was about to fall apart.